Natural Selection’s Debut Ski Event Venue Handpicked by Travis Rice

A first look at the Alaskan landscape that will serve as the perfect location for Natural Selection Ski’s inaugural event on April 17.

YETI Natural Selection Ski venue, Priority 1 in all her glory / Chad Chomlack/Natural Selection

Hidden deep in the cliffside mountains of the Alaska Range lies one of the world's most iconic and challenging ski venues: Priority 1 (P1). With its insurmountable size and arduous terrain, P1 will provide the perfect foreground for the premiere of the first-ever YETI Natural Selection Ski.

While the terrain already looks intimidating from the outside, it is even more intense in the midst, with a razor sharp ridge at the start and slopes that demand perfect precision throughout. Skiers must drop in with confidence and fluidity to conquer this beast of a mountain.

The impressive scene for the event was hand-picked by none other than pro snowboarder and NST co-founder Travis Rice. 

Natural Selection’s Debut Ski Event Venue: Priority 1 in Alaska

“Priority 1 is one of the best event venues on the planet. With good conditions on this face, it is as good as it gets in Alaska,” said Rice, having ridden the snowy waves of the face himself during 2016’s The Fourth Phase. Rice knows precisely what he is asking from the competitors, who are ready and waiting to see what P1 has in store for them on April 17.

P1 up close and personal at YETI Natural Selection Ski / Chad Chomlack/Natural Selection

“From the first time I talked to Travis Rice about NST Ski, he wanted to see skiers compete on Priority 1,” added pro skier and NST event director Mike Douglas. “It’s the ultimate venue for a competition like this and everything we envision when considering skiing and snowboarding in Alaska. It’s a place that demands respect, where we can push the boundaries of what skiing can be.”

Priority 1 first stepped into the limelight when Jeremy Nobis plunged in Teton Gravity Research’s Lost & Found (2007). Clark Fyans, who guided the TGR crew that christened the face as Priority 1, later returned with Rice, who rode it in The Fourth Phase. Rice once again returned to Alaska this year to scope out the venue for his competition, the Natural Selection Tour.

Camp vibes at YETI Natural Selection Ski / Chad Chomlack/Natural Selection

As with every Natural Selection event, safety comes first; extensive safety precautions are taken weeks in advance. Preparation is a must for this event, especially when it is being held in no-man’s land. Pulseline Adventure’s expert team headed up extensive snow testing and digging multiple snow pits for analysis.

“On P1, there’s no room for relaxing; it doesn’t forgive mistakes,” Douglas continued. “The features are so big that it’s hard to grasp the scale until you see someone on it fully. But that’s exactly what makes it such an incredible venue for this competition. It has everything we need – steepness, challenge, and terrain that allows skiers to showcase their creativity and technical mastery.” 

Athlete Lineup

The NST Ski will feature a star-studded lineup of Olympians, Freeride World Tour champions, X Games podium finishers, and rising stars.

Women’s Division

Manon Loschi (FRA)
Michell Parker (USA)
Maggie Voisin (USA)
Hedvig Wessel (NOR)

Men's Division

Markus Eder (ITA)
Kai Jones (USA)
Sam Kuch (CAN)
Craig Murray (NZL)
Kye Petersen (CAN)
Colby Stevenson (USA)
Parker White (USA)
Max Palm (SWE)

Skiers take in the face and start to pick their lines from YETI Natural Selection Ski base camp / Chad Chomlack/Natural Selection

With this roster of world-class talent, the judges will be looking for the criteria CREDO: Creativity, Risk, Execution, Difficulty, and Overall Flow. Ed Leigh will host the live event along with pro skiers Chris Benchetler, Tonje Kvivik, and Mark Abma, and it will be streamed on Redbull TV at 12 PM PT/3 PM ET/9 PM CET.

feed